Football tix e-mail to UM faculty/staff

Submitted by GoBlueinEugene on

Athletic Department e-mail from this afternoon re: UM faculty/staff about football tickets:

U-M Faculty/Staff,

A limited number of season tickets are available for the 2014 Michigan Football Season to U-M Faculty/Staff. As a U-M Faculty/Staff member, season tickets are offered at a 10% discount ($409/seat vs. the regular price of $455/seat). Each Faculty/Staff member is allowed a maximum of two (2) season tickets at this reduced rate, with any additional tickets being regular price. If you already hold Faculty/Staff season tickets, any new season tickets under this offer will be regular price.

Additionally, the required donation typically associated with the opportunity to purchase Michigan Football season tickets is $500, but for a limited time, U-M Faculty/Staff can take advantage of a special offer of an entry donation of only $100. Keep in mind, the Preferred Seat Donation (PSD) associated with season tickets will be applicable for the renewal of these additional tickets for the 2015 season.

For only $818 (plus a $15 service charge), U-M Faculty/Staff can be the proud owners of two (2) season tickets for the 2014 Michigan Football Season with the opportunity to renew season tickets as long as you like.


You may also opt to have your season ticket cost deducted from your paycheck in three installments (July, August, September - entry donation not eligible for payroll deduction).

Only U-M Faculty/Staff have been offered this combined ticket price discount and donation discount.

I don't remember receiving such an e-mail in recent years so I'm guessing the AD is really sweating about season ticket sales for 2014. 

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pearlw

April 21st, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^

You are missing the point..of course one doesnt have to go to be considered a fan. However, if someone has season tickets and specifically states that they are cancelling for the explcit reason that Michigan only won 7 games last year, then that is totally different.

Joined: 01/09/2011

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taistreetsmyhero

April 21st, 2014 at 7:22 PM ^

but I don't think the insult is very meaningful.

The fact that people don't have as much fun watching a mediocre team as they do watching a good team is logical. Paying $800 to watch a mediocre team suffer through a mediocre season and telling yourself it is equally as fun as watching a good team is borderline psychotic.

Joined: 08/08/2012

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PurpleStuff

April 21st, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^

Nobody really knows how the team will do next year and fans tend to be optimistic on the whole.  I haven't been a season ticket holder since my student days (2000-03) and these prices would have been considered bonkers back then too (a time when the team never went worse than 6-2 in B1G play and averaged over 9 wins a season).  You couldn't give away tickets for games against the directional schools or teams like Houston or Utah.  Now that is pretty much the whole schedule and the athletic department wants a second portrait of Ben Franklin if you want to bring a friend to the game.

Joined: 04/21/2009

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Blue Durham

April 21st, 2014 at 6:09 PM ^

I totally agree with this and your other post above. People are pissed by the AD's money grubbing, whether it is the introduction of the PSD's, the huge escalation in ticket prices, or the BS regarding seat cushions, water, the band not traveling (and then traveling) with the team, and advertising in the stadium. All of this is CEO/corporate short sightedness on Brandon's part. He has been maximizing current profits at the expense of future revenues (particularly future donations by current students and alumni). He will have an impressive bottom line of increasing current profitability to the department, but with a strong downward trend in attendance and good will among students and alumni.

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Tuebor

April 21st, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^

A better question might be will any of the games have attendances below 100K? 

 

Anything in September should be over 100K.  PSU is the night game so above 100K.  Indiana is Homecoming so above 100K.  Maryland is the last game of the year so I would assume it would be above 100K.

 

Hugely important to win @ND this year to try to recapture the all time winning percentage from them.

Joined: 03/14/2011

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Don

April 21st, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^

Not so fast, my friend... we might be marching forward into the past.

Our last home game in 1974 was on Nov. 16 against Purdue. We were 9-0 and ranked #3, and there was feverish anticipation of the looming showdown against OSU for the trip to the Rose Bowl, and, just as importantly, revenge for '73.

Even so, we could only muster 88,902 for the last home game.

http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1974fbt.htm

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Tuebor

April 21st, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^

If poor weather and a poor record plays a factor for the Maryland game I could see it below 100K.  Freezing November rain is no fun but otherwise I figure senior day is a good bet to get people out to the game.   In 2008 we were 3-7 played in rain and still had 107,856 come for the Northwestern game so who knows.

Joined: 03/14/2011

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Darker Blue

April 21st, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^

Yeah but in 2008, we had just thrashed a pretty good Minnesota  team, plus it was Rich Rodriguez's first year. I remember going into the Northwestern game thinking that we had turned the corner. 

With all of that being said, as long as we're good this year we won't have to worry about have a crowd of under 100k. 

Joined: 10/30/2011

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JohnnyV123

April 21st, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^

I work for the university too and was thinking the same thing that I have never seen an e-mail like this any year before. I hate to see the university do less than the best but if an economic message is the only way to get Dave Brandon's attention...

Joined: 04/08/2011

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Callahan

April 21st, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^

I doubt they would ever do this but it would be great if they sent a survey to those that have dumped their season tickets in the last few years. They might find out that the team results aren't the main cause of the sudden lack of interest. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

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pearlw

April 21st, 2014 at 5:05 PM ^

Not sure if I agree with this...if they went 11-2, there would be people lined up trying to get season tickets and the ticket office wouldnt be concerned why people dumped them as the demand would be there. The reason there may not be the demand right now is because Michigan went 7-6...when the product on the field isnt as exciting and doesnt win games, thats when people decide that maybe it costs too much and there isnt new demand clamoring to get those season tickets.

Joined: 01/09/2011

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Tuebor

April 21st, 2014 at 5:15 PM ^

No doubt if they were winning more games then demand would be higher.  2014 weak home schedule plus coming off an uninspiring 2013 season is what is causing this lack of demand. 

 

Whose decision was it to schedule OSU and MSU both home or both away every year?  Did Dave Brandon have input on this?  If his plan is to hike up prices every other year and freeze them in between (when no OSU and no MSU at home) then he may be smarter than I give him credit for.

Joined: 03/14/2011

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pearlw

April 21st, 2014 at 5:28 PM ^

Im fairly confident in saying Im sure Brandon would have preferred to have MSU and OSU in opposite years..or are you saying his devious plan had him trying to create the worst possible schedule? Then why did it occur...probably a larger negotiating /scheduling point in setting the teams in the two divisions. While it sucks for home games this year, without knowing the actual factors its hard to really point a finger.

Joined: 01/09/2011

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Tuebor

April 21st, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^

It seems odd to me that Michigan has 4 games in 2014 that are same venue as 2013.  Home vs Minnesota and Indiana, and Away vs MSU and Northwestern.  I know we were expanding to 14 teams and breaking in new divisions but our 2014 schedule got screwed. 

Joined: 03/14/2011

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umbig11

April 21st, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^

After I renewed my season tickets this year I contacted the Athletic Development Office and specifically asked what the renewal rates were compared to last year. Whether or not you view it as half full or half empty, the 8% difference from a year ago is down about 8,792 seats. Then there was the student renewal discussion which amounted to about another 1,200 - 1,500 seat renewal drop off. I know some of these will be picked up by new buyers but, I doubt they all go to new buyers. I think we will see the return of the ticket packs. Losing roughly 10,000 fans at the Big House is going to be very noticeable unless the AD gets creative. Having said that, I still think we see a sellout for most every game. I am hoping it is not as bad as it sounds.

Joined: 07/21/2010

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Tuebor

April 21st, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^

I think what makes ticket packs successful is having a premium game bundled with them.  You get a couple of MAC games and low B1G along with a OSU/MSU/ND level game. Justifiably you could sell your premium game and cover the total cost of the pack.

Joined: 03/14/2011

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dahblue

April 21st, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^

It'd be nice if Brandon connected the dots between slow season ticket sales and his sideshow tactics, but I doubt that's the case. If anything, he probably thinks we need more clown uniforms, more Baha Men and more expensive tickets.  I just wonder, if Brandon ever leaves, what sage CEO will replace him...what product is even shittier than Dominos Pizza?  Myspace, who led that pile of garbage?  What about the guy behind the AMC Pacer?  Maybe the inventor of the pet rock?

Joined: 11/09/2009

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Vote_Crisler_1937

April 21st, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^

Im tired of sitting between the end-zone and the 10 yard line for the last 6-7 years. I'm ready to get back to midfield and made the request when I renewed my tickets this year. I'm hopeful that we can move significantly towards the 50.

Joined: 11/07/2011

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slamalamadingdong

April 21st, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^

They told me season tickets for the Blue Zone and up were pretty much all sold/renewed.  So the remaining tickets are in the end zone/corners.  This was not surprising but says that at least 70% of the seats for next year are sold already.

I am sure they will offer heavily discounted ticket packs this year... buy App St., Miami Ohio get Minneasota free.  Any remaining seats Michigan can place on stub hub for a reduced price without the public/season ticket holders knowing it.

DB knows how to squeeze the most money possible out of the consumer.   He did it at Domino's by selling cardboard marketed as pizza.  He's doing it at Michigan by screwing over the faithful.

 

Joined: 02/15/2014

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Bambi

April 21st, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^

I got this e-mail as a student who already has season tickets. Not only are they desperate, they don't even know who they should be targeting with these e-mails.

Joined: 10/12/2013

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pearlw

April 21st, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^

Im not sure why the original poster says that the letter from the athletic dept shows the AD is sweating. Isnt it just a matter of moving a little further down the list and opening it up to others that usually didnt get a chance? Yes - the renewal rate is lower this year because of results on the field and the schedule next year. So the logical thing is they move down to those who were unable to get tickets before or open it up to another group like in this email. Im not sure why that is equated to sweating or panic as the lower renewal rate is likely not a surprise to the athletic dept. Calling it sweating or panic just shows the motive of the original poster as trying to create hype around this ticketholder rebellion narrative.

Joined: 01/09/2011

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Maize and Blue…

April 21st, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^

I had four season tickets for two years but they were non renewable.  As soon as DB took over an saw ND, OSU, and Nebraska on the schedule he told me to F off and that I was no better than the general public to buy over priced ticket packages.  I guess that F off is coming back to bite him in the arse.

Joined: 03/15/2009

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gwkrlghl

April 21st, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^

but I am thoroughly enjoying watching the AD squirm trying to basically beg people to buy tickets while still using the PSD and phrases like "required donation". (Which speaking of that, I hate PSD's. So you pay money to even have the oppotunity to buy something? Ok guy)

I learned this in high school microecon Dave. The price is too high and your supply is above your demand. Lower those prices or make the product better

Joined: 04/13/2012

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pearlw

April 21st, 2014 at 6:33 PM ^

I think Brandon has showed he understands your pretty graph very well. The fact that prices have been raised the past few years and the stadium is still full means the product was underpriced and there was more demand than supply. As for this year, Im not sure where we can conclude yet that there is insufficient demand. Yes - more people than normal seem to be failing to renew but perhaps there are other sources to make up that demand (just like the faculty email at the top). The fact that they are moving down the list to offering tickets to faculty at a discount and sending reminder emails does not necessarily equate to "squirming" and forcing them to "basically beg" as you say. There is a possibility that this is exactly what they expected and they analyzed this, expected this response, and already had strategies in place to make up the demand such as this. Without knowing what they are thinking, there is no way to make your conclusion until we see the stands in the fall.

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